Does Pre-Exercise Stretching Really Prevent Injuries?
Growing up, my coaches always made me stretch before every basketball practice and game. We would try and stay interested, but it was really just a time killer until practice started. It became such a habit that before any pick-up game I would be on the side stretching a little to get ready. (I only hope that I didn’t look like Woody Harrelson in White Men Can’t Jump. At least I wasn’t wearing the knee high socks). In the military every morning for PT (Physical Training) we would assemble, do a slow 15-20 second jog to warm up, and then start our stretching routine from head to toe. Granted, it did help me wake up because I was not, and am still not, a morning person. Why I joined a profession whose motto is “we do more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day” is beyond me. But why did we really have to stretch? Presumably to get ready for exercise and to decrease the chance of injury, but is there any scientific evidence to support this? Does pre-exercise stretching alone actually d
